Grille structure



Feb@ 4 1958 CIE. MORPHEW 2,822,069

- GRILLE. TRUCTURE Filed sept. 12, 1955 'y 5 sheets-sheet 1 Attorney Feb. 4, 1958 c. E. MORPHEW 2,822,069

GRILLE STRUCTURE Filed sept. 12, 1955 s sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR Attorney Feb. 4, 1958 c. E. MoRPHEw 2,822,069

GRILLE STRUCTURE Filed Sept. l2, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Y l NTO R BY cbrezcecyzp/ed Attorney- United States Patent O GRILLE STRUCTURE Clarence E. Morphew, lyilford, Mich., assigner to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, MiolL, a Corporation of'peleware Arolieeeee September 1.22 1955, Serie! .No- $3,674 4 claims. (ci. isos-TS2) The present invention relates to automobiles and more particularly to grilles for the aii intake.

It is the practice to provide an opening in the Ifront of automotive vehicles that allows air'to ii'ow therethr'oiigh for cooling the radiator and engine. In the Lpast these openings have been covered a decorative'grille 20 ieeledee eee of more 'members pol'ei'tieoeld :te eooiee'el the mechanical parts therebehind. "These grilles are noimally fabricated as a single integral Aunit and frequently are die castings or other similarone piece structures. Since the grille is disposed on the front endy of the vehicle adjacent to the front bumper, it is' frequently su t to severeimpacts which result in exte'tisi" 7"( zige to the grille. In the past it has been imp tactical,'ify not impossible, to repair fheerille, thfus necessitating extensive and expensive `115121"adement of theeritire assembly. i A 'f' In order to eliminate the objections inherent in such cast structures, numerous attempts hayebeen made to prfo. vide a grillework fabricated `from et metal parts. 4 This not only makes a considerably Cheaper and lighter grille, but in the event of ldamage 'to apoition thereof, itxisy frequently feasible torepa'ir or replace` tha.. n y the grille without incurring the eiipense' of rep t y entire unit. However as a practical matter, sheet metal grilles have not been widely'adopted lf O'r. .SeveralV reasons, i. e., it is diflifcult to provide'a grille strnctu ha I a suiciently heavy appearance to"`appeai ytot e ae senseand also it has been extremely 'difficult fQJIQy Y jn interlocking sheet metal grillewor'k'which be re'a'dily assembled andv disassembled ,vyitlioii't =ayingaftenl ericy to develop squeaks and/orratt s.

It is therefore proposed lto provide a grille structure .v t v.- f 5. f ian-l L. L* employing sheet metal members which ate rigidly sec ed together by a simple looking means thatwill `f any rattling of the grille members and at the'sairie t1 A f, the grille may be easily assembled that in. the event of damage to a portion of the "grilie, that portion lalone may be readily replaced;y Thisis lobe accomplished by providing a first set of verti'caipslats and a set of horizontal slats that receive "the vertical slats. The slats are providedwith interlocking portions and the slats in the first and second sets are biased in opposite directionsiso as to retain the portionsinterlocked-with each other "to form an integral structure. By releasing the bias on the vertical slats, the interlocking portions will be released and any damaged slats may be readily replaced.

In the three sheets of drawings:

Figure l is a front elevational view of an automotive vehicle employing a grille embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the grille taken substantially along the plane of line 2--2 in Figure l.

Figure 3 is an enlarged front elevational view of a portion of the grille.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along the plane of line 4-4 in Figure 3.

"ice

Figtires 5, 6 and 7 are exploded perspective views showing the slat members and illustrating the method'by which they are assembled into a grille structure.

Referring to the drawings in more detail, the present invention may be embodied in a grille 10 which is adapted to be secured across the forward portion of an automotive vehicle 12 having a hood 14 for covering the engine and a pair offenders 16 on the opposite sides thereof for concealing the road wheels 13 and vcooperating with the hood 14 to form an engine compartment. A bumper member 20 may extend transversely across the front of the vehicle 12 to provide a protective impact surface for preventing damage to the vehicle body as a result of minorr collisions. The hood 14, yfenders 16 and bumper 20 may generally dene the sides of an opening 22 forming an air intake for directing a blast of cooling air across a radiator and into the engine compartment below thehoodlt.y i

A decorative grillework 10 may b e disposed in this opening`22'to conceal the radiator and engine compartmerit.` In the present instance this"`g`iilie 10 includes a set of parallel horizontal slats 24, a first set of vertical slats '26 which are vparallel"with leach other and normal to the5 horizontal slats and a second set of vertical `slafts 28 which are also parallel to' each other and to the slats 26 inV the first set.' The slatsin the 'two 'vertical sets are interspersed with each other, the reasons for'which will appear hereinafter, and secured to the horizontal slats 24" to provide an integral unit forming an orthogonal grillework 10. These slats may be a strip 0f sheet metal of the desired thickness as in the present instanceor they may be folded from a thin" stack to produce the desired appearance.

All of the horizontal slats 24 may be substantially identical with each other. Each of these" slats 24 includes a plurality of notches 3 0 and 32 which eittendinvvardly from the rear edge thereof to receivthe'vertioai'slats`2Q and'28 in the rst'two sets" and thereby insure desired spacing of the'slatsand thedesiredalignrnentbf the leading edges. The first group of notches v30"receii1'e the slats 26 in the first set. These notchesinciude'a pair of substantiallyv parallel'` edges 34 which extend part way into'the horizontalslat so as vto terminate adjacent the middle thereof. In addition,` apertures W36' maybe prol vided through the horizontal slats 24 in substantial 'alignment with the notches 30' and'of substantially the 'saine width. Also the horizontal slats 24 may iiicliidea" secorid group of notches 32 which are adapted to receive the slats 2g in the second set. These notches 32 Vare sub1 stantially the same as V'those in`t'he`firstv group except `that it is not necessary to provide the apertures d'6v Iadjae'ent the inrie'r ends( i" All of the vertical slats 26 and 28 may include notches 38 and 40 which are adapted to intei'meshwith those'i'ri the horizontal slats and provide an interlocking actiii that forms an integral grillework. The interrne'shiiigI of the notches '30,`38"an`d' 32, 40'insur'esthe proper positioning' of the' slats 'and by properly proporticning' the relative depths of the li1otches,the' front edges of the slats may au be disposed in" common" surface of staggered from ch` other. VIn vthemiirstse't of slats rZGea/:lfi o he otches'38` includesl an 'upperA edge '42 'whichis"'sb stantially normal to the leading side of the slat. This edge 42 determines the angle at which the horizontal 24 and vertical slats 26 will join and accordingly, if desired, this edge 42 may be placed oblique to the side of the slot 26 so the surface of the horizontal slats will be horlzontal while the leading side of the vertical slats will be slightly raked. A tapered detent 44 may be provided on each of these upper edges 42. The bottom edges 46 of the notches 38 are inwardly divergent from the upper edges 42 so that the outer ends of the notches 38 may be about as wide as the thickness of the horizontal slats while the inner ends are slightly larger. It may thus be seen that a horizontal slat 24 may be moved in translation along'tlie bottom 46wof la notch 38 until the aperture S6-is 'in substantial alignment with a 4detent 44. At this time the horizontal slat 24 may then be rotated against the upper edge of the notch 38' with the detent 44 projecting through the aperture 36. It may be seen that as long as the horizontal slat 24 engages the upper edge 42 f the notch 38, the horizontal slat 24 will be locked to the vertical slats 26.

ln order to retain the horizontal slats 24 firmly seated against the upper edges 42 of these notches 38, the second set of vertical slats 28 may have notches 4f? in which the upper and lower edges 48 are parallel to each other and also to the upper edge 42 of the notches 38 in the first group. Thus when the horizontal slats 24 are positioned in the notches 4t) in the second group of vertical slats 26, the bottoms 48 of these notches 4d will retain the horizontal slats 24 against the upper edge 42 of the notches 38 in the first group of vertical slats 26. Since the detents 44 project into the apertures 36, the structure will thereby be locked together to form an integral unit.

In order to bias the two groups of vertical slats 26 and 28 in opposite directions and thus retain the horizontal slats 24 against the upper and lower edges 42 and 48, respectively, of the notches 38 and 40 in the slats 26 and 28 in the rst and second groups, respectively, a header bar 50 may be placed across the top of the assembly. If the upper ends 52 of the slats 26 in the first group project slightly above the upper ends S4 of those in the second group, the header bar 50 will rest on the ends 52 of the first slats 26 with a small space 53 being provided between the ends 54 of the second slats 2S and the header bar 50. The upper ends 54 of each of the second slats 28 may be provided with a fastener such as a threaded clip 56 which tits into the opening 58. Bolts 60 extending through the header bar 50 may be threaded into these clips 56 and the second group of slats 28 may thus be drawn upwardly toward the header bar f), while the first set 26 will be forced downwardly. Thus the slats 26 and 28 in the first and second groups will be biased in opposite directions and although the horizontal slats 24 are not visibly bent, their resilience will insure their engaging the upper edges 42 of the first notches 38 and the lower edges 48 of the second notches 40. It has been found that if every third slat belongs to the second group, each of the slats in the first group will be adjacent at least one of the slats in the second group. Thus the resilience of the horizontal members 24 will insure a tight engagement between each of the edges that engage the horizontal slats, thereby eliminating any rattling.

It is to be understood that, although the invention has been described with specific reference to a particular embodiment thereof, it is not to be so limited since changes and alterations therein may be made which are within the full intended scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

Ilclaim:

1. A grille-like structure comprising a first set and a second set of slats all disposed substantially parallel to each other, and a third set of slats disposed normal to said two first sets, the slats in said first set including notches which extend inwardly from one side thereof and including an edge having a detent projecting into said notch and a side inwardly divergent therefrom, the slats in said second set including notches having a pair of edges extending inwardly from one side thereof parallel to said edge having said detent Kand being spaced apart the thickness of said slats in said third set, said third set of slats being adapted to be disposed in said notches in said first and second sets and having means to engage said detent and thereby be retained in said notches, and means comprising a resilient header bar engaging the ends of the slats in said first and second sets for biasing the slats in said first yand second sets in opposite directions for resiliently dcecting the slats in said third set to cause said detents to lock said slats together.

2. A grille-like structure comprising -a first set of substantially parallel slats, a second set of parallel slats disposed normal to said first set, the slats in said first sct having notches extending inwardly from one side thereof to receive the slats in said second set, said notches including one edge having locking means thereon adapted to have said slats in said second set seated thereon in locking engagement with said locking means, and a third set o'f slats disposed parallel to the slats in said first set and being notched to receive the slats in said second set and means for resiliently biasing said slats in said first and third sets in opposite directions to retain the slats in said second set positioned `against said locking means.

3. A grille-like structure comprising a first set of substantially parallel slats, a second set of parallel slats disposed normal to said first set, the slats in said first set having notches to receive the slats of said second set, said notches having inwardly divergent edges so as to be wider on the inner end and allow said second slats to be translated into said notch and then rotated against one of said edges, said last mentioned edge including a detent, said second slats having apertures to receive said detent when rotated against said edge and thereby be retained on said slat, a third set of slats disposed parallel to the slats in said first set and having notches for receiving said second slats, said last mentioned notches having pairs of sides parallel to said last mentioned edges and spaced substantially the thickness of said third slats apart and effective for retaining said detent i'n engagement with said aperture.

4. A grille-like structure comprising a first set of substantially parallel slats, a second set of parallel slats disposed normal to said first set, the slats in said first set having notches extending inwardly from one side thereof to receive the slats in said second set, said notches including one edge having locking means thereon adapted to have said slats in said second set seated thereon in 'locking engagement with said locking means, a third set of slats disposed parallel to the slats in said first set and being notched to receive the slats in said second set and a resilient header bar engaging the ends of said slats in said first and third sets for biasing said slats in said first and third sets in opposite directions to retain the slats in said second set positioned against said locking means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,396,735 Leigh Mar. 19, 1946 2,454,583 Wisely Nov. 23, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS 28,939 Netherlands Feb. 15, 1933 

